"Emilia, that was quite an impressive opening move!"
Shendu looked at Emilia's sudden ambush and spoke in surprise.
"Hehe, since we're taking action, we should strike first."
Emilia smiled proudly as she looked toward the top of the tower.
Meanwhile, Garfiel, who had been observing the surrounding citizens, suddenly noticed something strange. Despite a battle breaking out at such close range, none of the nearby civilians fled. Instead, they stood there blankly.
"Lady Shendu, something's wrong. The look in their eyes isn't normal at all."
As a demi-human, Garfiel's instincts were sharp. At a glance, he could tell the citizens' expressions were off.
"Yes. From the very beginning, that person must have already used her Authority."
Shendu glanced around and noticed that every single face was filled with fury. Veins bulged across their foreheads as they glared at them in anger.
What was abnormal was that their expressions were identical—perfectly synchronized.
It was like the feeling of listening to a famous singer's beautiful performance, only for it to be abruptly interrupted—an unprecedented level of rage.
"Shamak!"
Seeing their furious expressions, Beatrice cast a Yin magic spell, attempting to block their vision and dispel the artificial mental control.
However, when the black mist dissipated, the anger on their faces remained unchanged. It was as though their emotions themselves had been completely controlled.
This kind of brainwashing through sound was somewhat similar to Miku from Date A Live, while the damage-sharing aspect closely resembled Hidan from Naruto.
The combination of those two abilities was not something that could be handled easily.
"It's useless, Big Sister. The Authority is too strong. Blocking their vision with magic alone won't solve it, I suppose."
Beatrice felt a flicker of tension. Faced with this result, her eyes were filled with worry.
Just as they were focusing on the situation, the section of the spire that had been pierced by the ice pillar shattered. A battered figure appeared before them.
Her left shoulder had suffered heavy damage. Blood dripped continuously, staining the bandages wrapped around her body, making her look utterly miserable.
"Ahhh! You disgusting half-devil! The one who stole that person from me—unforgivable, absolutely unforgivable!"
"Ahhh! What a revolting stench!"
After roaring in fury, Sirius raised both hands. The chains wrapped around them glowed crimson, as though covered in dense flames.
"Not good! She's furious."
Emilia kept her eyes fixed on the scene and realized she had completely enraged Sirius. She raised her right hand, and a transparent, colorless ice sword formed in her grasp.
Intricate patterns ran along the blade, radiating a chilling aura.
As Emilia watched her, Sirius leapt down from the spire. Landing on both feet, she fixed Emilia with an enraged glare.
"I am a Sin Archbishop of the Witch Cult—Wrath incarnate!"
"Sirius Romanée-Conti! Trash half-devil, trash spirit—I'll burn you all to ashes and take my husband back!"
Sirius' twisted expression was illuminated by blazing firelight, casting an eerie glow over the surroundings.
"Please don't insult people. And what you're doing is far too much."
Emilia lifted her ice sword and thrust it toward Sirius' shoulder.
"As if I'd lose to you! Trash half-devil!"
Sirius shouted as she swung her flaming chain toward Emilia.
Crack!
In less than a second, the ice sword in Emilia's hand shattered into pieces.
"Hahaha! This is what happens when you offend me. Die, half-devil!"
Taking advantage of the opening, Sirius swung her flaming chain again, this time aiming directly at Emilia's face.
"Stop!"
Unable to stand by and watch, Akane grabbed the chain with one hand.
At the same time, Emilia conjured a massive warhammer with magic and slammed it violently toward Sirius' face.
With no time to react and no way to dodge, Sirius was struck head-on by the coordinated attack and smashed into the ground, carving out a massive crater.
"Nice one, Emilia!"
Akane and the others revealed delighted expressions, clearly pleased.
"Let's fight together, Miss Akane. We can't give her time to react."
Emilia continued gripping the heavy warhammer. Though it was weighty, this body was merely a duplicate, allowing her to exert even greater strength.
With just that single blow, Sirius lay there for quite some time, unable to get up. No matter how she struggled, she couldn't rise immediately.
"Ahhh! Damn half-devil, you've completely enraged me!"
After finally climbing back to her feet, Sirius' attacks grew even more frantic. Various fire spells were hurled toward them in rapid succession.
But as the Flame Dragon, Akane was highly resistant to fire. She shielded Emilia, allowing her to continue pressing the attack.
As Emilia gradually gained the upper hand, Shendu moved together with Garfiel. The two of them circled around to the back of the spire, and Garfiel kicked the door open.
Within seconds, they were climbing toward the upper levels.
As they advanced, Shendu used her mental perception to check whether the kidnapped boy was still alive.
She was slightly worried that Emilia might have overdone it and accidentally killed the hostage inside. That would hardly be amusing.
Soon, in a corner near the top, they found Lusbel Kallard tied to a beam, struggling desperately.
"Hey, are you alright?"
Garfiel stared at Lusbel and asked in confusion.
"I'm fine... but my childhood friend Tina was captured by that woman. Please, save her."
Lusbel spoke tearfully, his eyes filled with self-blame for his own helplessness.
"Don't worry. We'll save her. For now, you need to leave this place immediately. This isn't somewhere ordinary people can stay."
Shendu looked at Lusbel seriously as she spoke.
"Thank you. I'll never forget this kindness."
Only after receiving Shendu's assurance did Lusbel finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"There's no time to waste. Leave quickly. This place might turn into a battlefield at any moment."
Shendu frowned slightly and tapped her foot.
A mass of shadow spread across the floor. Several ninjas emerged, grabbed them, and pulled them down into the shadows.
On the other side, in the plaza, Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice watched as the enraged citizens surrounded them. A trace of gravity filled their eyes.
"Beatrice, what should we do? We can't just deal with them. They're only being controlled."
Natsuki Subaru spoke nervously, clearly frightened by the approaching crowd.
Only now did he realize he had underestimated the Archbishop of Wrath. Her ability to directly control the citizens produced a force not to be taken lightly.
"It's only natural. As long as humans possess emotions, that person can likely control them. It seems we'll have to use the simplest method."
"Come forth—Shadowkhan."
Before the mission began, Shendu had already informed Beatrice of the solution through their contract.
Since they hadn't anticipated that the Archbishop of Wrath would directly control the citizens, Beatrice could only initiate Plan B.
As Shendu's contracted spirit, she possessed authority over the Shadowkhan. In an instant, hundreds of ninjas appeared at her summons.
The moment they emerged, they knocked unconscious the nearby citizens and dragged them into the shadows, depositing them elsewhere. Even those attempting to approach were forcibly driven away.
The process lasted quite some time. Beatrice monitored everything carefully, afraid of unexpected changes. Only after watching the citizens be carried away one by one did she finally relax.
Her assigned task had been to evacuate the civilians safely. Now that it was complete, relief gradually appeared on her face.
"That's great... at least the citizens can survive."
Natsuki Subaru also let out a long breath. After witnessing tragedy twice, he had no desire to experience it a third time.
...
Watergate City, the spire near the plaza.
Ever since Akane and Emilia joined forces against Sirius, the Archbishop of Wrath had been completely suppressed. Wounds covered her body, and the bandages wrapped around her were soaked crimson with blood. Her fury radiated outward without restraint.
"You look very angry. Why are you so angry at me?"
Emilia condensed another ice sword and asked thoughtfully.
"Angry? Hahaha! That's my specialty! It's the precious emotion I obtained from that person! Shut up, shut up, you silver-haired half-devil—you talk far too much!"
Sirius had already been enraged, but after only a brief exchange with Emilia, her fury intensified even further.
Her voice was manic, yet her movements remained swift. Although she was being suppressed in a two-on-one fight, she was incredibly tenacious, repeatedly activating her Authority in attempts to disrupt the two of them.
"It's useless. Your Authority is indeed powerful, but it cannot brainwash those with strong willpower."
Akane felt her own emotions fluctuate slightly before stabilizing again. Her red eyes were filled with disdain.
"Hmph! I refuse to believe that! Mutual understanding is love! I will create a world filled with love!"
Sirius went mad. A flaming spear formed in her hand. With a sharp twist, it split into two blazing swords that radiated scorching heat.
Sensing the subtle shift in Sirius' mental state, Emilia did not dare underestimate her. She split her own ice blade into two swords and continued the battle.
Akane supported her from the side, maintaining their advantage as they pressed the Archbishop of Wrath toward defeat.
Meanwhile, in the plaza, Natsuki Subaru and Beatrice watched as the evacuation of the citizens was finally completed. Both of them let out a sigh of relief, and Natsuki Subaru's face was filled with excitement.
"The mission is finally done. If everything goes smoothly, this Witch Cultist will be captured as well."
Beatrice spoke thoughtfully, her eyes brimming with confidence.
"This time, we should finally win."
Natsuki Subaru was equally delighted. Achieving the outcome he desired most, he dropped to one knee, overwhelmed with relief.
"I hope so. But Betty feels uneasy, I suppose. It feels like something isn't quite as we imagined."
Beatrice frowned, her expression turning grave. Ever since arriving at the plaza, a strong sense of danger had lingered over her.
After rescuing Lusbel Kallard, Shendu emerged from the spire. Watching the battle, she fixed her gaze on Sirius and demanded,
"Did you capture another hostage? Answer me."
With Shendu's appearance, Emilia and Akane briefly slowed their attacks to catch their breath.
"Hahaha! This is something prepared for love! Only through mutual understanding can true love emerge!"
Sirius spoke madly. With a slight lift of her right hand, a blonde girl wrapped in chains dropped down from a nearby house.
For a moment, Emilia and Akane froze. They had not expected Sirius to still have another hostage. It caught them completely off guard.
"What are you doing? Trying to threaten us with a hostage? That's despicable!"
Emilia shouted angrily at the sight.
"Hmph. Worthless half-devil, you have no right to judge me. Following the Gospel's guidance, I encountered filthy you. Until I burn you to ashes, my attacks will not cease!"
Sirius' temperament was pure fury—perfectly befitting her title as Archbishop of Wrath.
"You really talk too much."
Seeing Sirius ramble endlessly, Shendu vanished in a flash. Reappearing instantly, she delivered a kick that sent Sirius flying.
Of course, she held back her strength. If she used too much force, the nearby hostages might suffer, which would be disastrous for them.
Bang!
Sirius rolled across the ground for quite some distance before finally coming to a stop.
Without wasting words, Shendu snapped her fingers, summoning a spatial gate.
She casually pushed the hostage through it, sending the girl to the location of the previously rescued boy. Having heard they were childhood friends, Shendu did not mind helping them reunite.
"Whew. All done. What a hassle—rescuing so many people at once. I almost feel like a saint."
Shendu wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead and muttered helplessly.
"Hahaha! So this is the end? But you will never win!"
Even after realizing that Shendu's strength surpassed her by several times, Sirius remained arrogant, showing not a trace of fear.
"Oh? Then tell me—what's your trump card?"
Shendu narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. The previous two loops had not produced any anomalies. Could it be that in this third loop, an unexpected variable would appear?
Boom!
The moment Shendu finished speaking, explosions suddenly erupted throughout Watergate City.
Shendu and Emilia's expressions immediately tightened.
"What's happening? Did something occur across the entire city? Damn it—this didn't happen before."
Natsuki Subaru looked frustrated, completely unaware of what had changed. The entire city was suddenly engulfed in explosions.
"Calm down. We still have the advantage."
Beatrice said sternly, maintaining her composure.
Elsewhere, on the outskirts of the plaza, a white-haired young man with an unremarkable appearance yet overflowing arrogance walked forward with leisurely steps.
The surrounding streets were filled with ordinary residents. Upon hearing the explosions, the white-haired man spread his arms and began delivering a long-winded speech.
"Congratulations. You have been granted the privilege of witnessing the city's beautiful music. I'll count to three. Proceed to the plaza immediately. Otherwise, you will all die."
Regulus spoke lightly, a smile tugging at his lips.
"What nonsense! A mere brat thinks he can order us around? Impossible!"
"That's right! We won't listen to you! There's danger in the plaza!"
The residents flatly refused the Archbishop of Greed's command, fearing the risk inside.
"Heh. There is indeed danger inside. Unfortunately for you, I'm far more dangerous."
With that, Regulus lightly tapped his foot.
A burst of compressed air erupted outward, instantly killing several civilians.
The previously defiant crowd panicked upon seeing him act. They scattered in terror. When he noticed some still disobeying, he eliminated them without hesitation.
Hundreds of people were soon herded toward the plaza.
Regulus was in no rush. Like a cat toying with mice, he leisurely drove the crowd forward.
The earlier explosion had indeed been a signal.
Why?
Because the Gospel they carried had changed.
The new revelation detailed their plan to seize control of the entire city. As a result, nearly all active Sin Archbishops had mobilized. Aside from the Archbishop of Wrath who had already begun acting, the others had now joined the operation.
"Very well. It's time to retrieve my two beautiful wives. Pursuing the Gospel in Watergate City is important—but pursuing my ideals is even more so."
Regulus smiled sinisterly as he continued driving the crowd toward the plaza's spire.
When the forcibly gathered civilians were pushed into the plaza, Shendu, Emilia, and Akane were caught slightly off guard.
Seeing the influx of hostages, Sirius burst into delighted laughter.
"Worthless half-devil, see that? We all follow the Gospel's guidance! The Gospel has changed—now let me send you to your death!"
Spotting Emilia's momentary distraction, Sirius wasted no time. Powerful flames gathered in both her hands.
They condensed into a crimson spear, which she hurled toward Emilia. Midair, it exploded into a raging sea of fire that surged toward her.
But Shendu remained utterly unfazed.
After all, she was the progenitor of flame itself. How could she possibly fear such insignificant fire? Ordinary flames were something she could easily ignore.